


Old Times Sake

by seraphic_gate



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Anniversary, Fluff, M/M, Ten Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 20:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20121103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraphic_gate/pseuds/seraphic_gate
Summary: Ten years after the events on Sirena.  Orion plans a surprise.  Some things change, but somethings will always be the same.





	Old Times Sake

As the years passed, Erin found it difficult to sustain himself on as little sleep as he was used to. 

He was not an old man by any means, but he noticed his youthful energy slipping away bit by bit. He could no longer watch Orion go to sleep and be awake again long before he rose, and still maintain the energy and alertness needed to protect him.

To compensate for what he might have lost in speed, he multiplied his efforts to keep in shape, and trained himself for a few hours out of every day. It kept him fit and ready, but he was never as slender and lithe as he had been in his teenage years.

That night, he had a hot shower after a long exercise and returned to the royal bedroom. Orion said he’d be up late doing some paperwork in the office. 

When he saw light flickering from underneath the door, he was sure someone else was there inside. There hadn’t been an attempt on Orion’s life in years, but Erin had never stopped thinking about the possibility.

He drew his kunai and threw open the door.

There was no one inside, but the room was lit with candles and there was a bouquet of red roses lying on the bed.

“Orion,” he said, groaning at the ridiculous display of romantic notions. He tucked his kunai back into their hidden places on his body. “If you want to get me in bed, you don’t have to do all this sappy stuff.”

Orion joined him, stepping in from the connected wash room, wiping his face dry with a towel after he’d rinsed it. “Today is special.”

“Is it? You even shaved your face. How lucky for me.”

Orion smiled. Erin was jealous of how his features had only improved with age. Little crinkles around his eyes and lines on his forehead made him look wise and gentle. Erin liked to think of himself as partially responsible for those, having made Orion laugh and smile so much over the years.

“It is an anniversary,” Orion said. 

Erin had to think about that. The only annual date that they celebrated publicly was  
Orion’s coronation, but that had passed months ago, and although it was a significant day for Erin (and it did usually lead to some kinds of “celebration”), it wasn’t exactly a romantic one. They’d never celebrated their wedding, since both of them had been so adamant that the ceremony itself wasn’t important. And that had been in the winter months, anyway. “Sorry, I don’t have a clue.”

“Ten years ago, we took a trip to Sirena.”

Erin looked again at the red bouquet and memories flooded back to him. Warm, precious memories he hadn’t pored over in a long time. “Ah.”

“And it was on our last night in Sirena that you first said that you love me.”

Erin snickered. “I was thinking it was the first time we boned, but that works too.”

Orion made a sour face at the word “boned”, but pressed on. “So,” he began to look away and rub at his cheek with the tip of one finger, like he wasn’t sure of himself. Ten years together and he was no less awkward about these things. “Do you still have that robe?”

“The one Sardinia gave me?” Erin mused. “Yeah, it’s in my wardrobe.” He hadn’t put it it on in years.

“Would you,” Orion said, and cleared is throat. “Would you wear it? For me. Tonight.”

Erin held his face at neutral for a second to try and mess with him a little, but couldn’t stop a smile from spreading over his face. “Since you asked nicely.”

Orion turned away so as not to ruin the surprise as Erin dug into the back of his wardrobe and found the Sirenian-style gown. “My king can be so cute sometimes,” he said. “Don’t look~”

To think that once upon a time, he couldn’t even get Orion to smile.

He found the robe and held it out in front of him. The sea green silk was as vibrant as ever.

The fortunate thing about this outfit was that it had always been loose and roomy. Erin fit into it in spite of his thicker arms and waist.

It took him a moment to remember how the sash was meant to be tied. Sardinia taught him a long time ago. He liked how it made a pretty bow when it was right, but the fold had plenty of space to hide a few knives. Finally he got it. 

He took one look at himself in the mirror before telling Orion to turn around. Compared to that day ten years ago, his eyes had sunken and grown darker. He had a few lines of his own starting to show, and he didn’t think they suited his face the way that Orion’s did.

“Okay, you can look now,” he said. “But don’t get your hopes too high.”

Orion turned and went doe-eyed at the sight of him. “Beautiful,” he said in a sigh. He took the bouquet from the bed and held it out to him. “Thank you for indulging me.”

Erin took it and shrugged. “What a silly king I have.” The scent of the bouquet was nostalgic, the same specific breed of dark red. He wondered if Orion had sent for them all the way from that same shop in Sirena’s capital.

Orion stepped closer to him and touched his hand lightly to Erin’s face as if to verify that what he was seeing was real. “You look like you stepped right out of my memory,” he said. “Just the same as that night.”

“You’re flattering me,” Erin laughed. “I don’t mind, but come on. I’m not eighteen anymore.”

“You are still as lovely, and as annoying, as that very day.”

Erin was about to retort to that, but Orion leaned close and pressed his lips to the circlet around his head. That simple gesture still had the power to convey so much without words.

“One more thing.” He felt behind Erin’s head for the tie of his hair and pulled it loose. Erin’s hair fell over his shoulders. Thinner now, but still long and red. Orion buried his hands in it.

“I’ll never get tired of this.”

Erin sighed and let his weight fall against Orion. “We should vacation on Sirena again,” he said. “You never built me that private bath.”

“Maybe next year. We will have plenty of anniversaries to come.”


End file.
